Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

294. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to reverse the two-tier pay scale for teachers and other public servants introduced in 2011. [36415/15]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I assume the Deputy is referring to the 10% reduced rates of pay for new entrant public servants. This was one of a number of measures, introduced over the period since the fiscal crisis which directly affected the pay of public service staff. The reductions in starting pay were introduced in January 2011 as part of the National Recovery Plan in order to reduce the Public Service Pay Bill by the previous Government. 

However, this Government has since provided for an agreed process under the Haddington Road Agreement (Section 2.31) in 2013 allowing for the amalgamation of pay scales to address any imbalance in pay scales between those who entered the public service as new entrants after January 2011 and those who applied to become public servants before January 2011. This has addressed the issue of the 'two-tier pay-scale' referred to.  The revised scales provide for assimilation of new entrant public servants to a single applicable scale to each grade and represent a significant redressing of any imbalance particularly in the context of the savings then required under the Haddington Road Agreement.

The Lansdowne Road Agreement, which was recently accepted by the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, has extended the provisions of the Haddington Road Agreement up to September 2018.